NEW Hybrid

Not HSD, no Voltec a thrid one ?

My idea

Mode EV : C1 : dis engaged, C2,C3 any state
Mode EV with more torque requirement : C1, C2 engaged, C3 disengaged

Extended Mode : Serial Mode : C3 Engaged, C1, C2 Disengaged
Extended Mode : Up hill more torque : C1,C2,C3 engaged


Regeneration : same EV mode
Home power Generator mode : c2 disengaged , C3 engaged



So for C1, C2,C3 can use Magnetic Clutch : . In simple words this contains 2 plates and the gap is filled with magnetorheological fluid (MR fluid). There is fluid storage and electro maganets. so when the clutch needs engaged, the fluid fills the gas and electric field is applied so the fluid truns to solid. At time of disengagement, remove the magnetic field and store the fluid back to container.




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LG Optimus onep

Upgraded to an android phone, LG optimus one (basic android phone with needed stuff except a front facing camera ) .

Current users :

Kid : Camera
Wife : Angry Brids

Seems interesting. Seems i will upgrade my another phone also to a smart phone.


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2012 Chevrolet Orlando : My thoughts

2012 Chevrolet Orlando is not released yet ( when i write this post ). But i was looking it as a potential buy as my wife gets her license.

The other ones i look at that time mostly will be C max hybrid. Others of interest are Mazda 5, Kia Rhondo.


Most things seems Orlando is good but couple of concerns ( love if they have them )

1)Sliding doors - This is one of the best stuff in minivans. Imagine kid in one hand, another kid or a pop corn in another , Do you like to hold the door or you look for a sliding door. Same in a thin parking lot.

2) Removable seats/Configurable seats : This is another big concern and a need. When you need to get some soil from home depot, first thing is to move out the seats , put some cover and use the minivan. Same case when i am doing my occasional home projects, getting logs, getting cement, tools etc etc. So we need to remove the seats, and put them back once the duty is done

Again this gives freedom to configure as a 5 seat when i have a dog in with family, or carry some some stuff.

3) Hybrid engine : Yes , Gas prices are going north. So always economic is great. Its nice to have economic hybrid -say like Voltec CS mode or HSD ( i wont say eAssist because it doesn't have good city numbers and combined numbers .I look for more real world). Ford C max targeting 41 mpg , it should be better /equal to this number.

4) Limited 4x4 - for places where snow is a factor or black ice is a factor, the vehicle requires a 4x4.

Let be it more a mini van than an SUV.

Am i worried its using cruze platform ?? - never , worried on 15 inch wheels ?? never , i would love it because curze platform because its a proven one, 15 inch wheels because its low riding because i don't intend to use it a full time off roader or so. Its a soft roader MPV which helps me to get things happening in home and quality family time people hauler.

Else I think C max is option to look :-) may be they will be putting the Hybrid Cmax in 2012 as 2013 model. Ford C-MAX Hybrid are targeted to birth better fuel saving than the 41 mpg Ford nuclear fusion Hybrid .


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Ideas for ICBC

New year , Gas prices up and second commuter car ? Insurance Up :-(

Thought may propose some ideas to ICBC to reduce the carbon foot print and using things efficiently.

First thing i looked at my office cars. 95% comprised of midsize cars, minivans / suv/ crossovers ,

All of them coming to office with one person on morning and one person back home. So why they need big cars - because they work for family and for family they want big cars. If they go for a 2 seater commuter car, insurance will be greater than adding extra gas on a big car.

So increase insurance cost on big vehicles ? already we pay double than US.

Another idea ?

Allow people to register multiple cars on same plate ( ex: a commuter car and a minivan), with say an increase of storage insurance cost .

Advantage : when people are going alone or only carrying one person with them, the commuter cars will be used. So normal office less cost drive , less gas, less pollution and no compromise on convenience.

Ok, so what should define a commuter car : This is a the key : Set 70 mpg (US) combined mileage for ICE , Hybrids etc. Add range extenders/EV from 60 kms EV kms (say 40 mile EV range ). No other qualifies for commuter car. Make the mpg and EV miles a moving standard , so this is for 2011 and 2012, 2013 standards will be announced nearing to that time and so on . Similarly emission restrictions, 4x4 class ( as we are a snow belt ) etc also other than mpg can be added.

This will force automakers to bring fuel efficient technologies and cars from different parts of the world as well as produce new (ex: japan - kei cars ) .

Wondering on the inputs.

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Netflix - facts on streaming

I do hear a lot people commenting on Netflix , I have an account and my view.

Likes :

1) I like its streaming quality
2) Nice price ( $8 unlimited streaming)
3) Kids content

Dislikes :

1) Interface - specially the PS3 interface. I will explain later what's the problem.
2) Targeted contents

OK, so now i explain the dislike on the interface.

The problem i think is vision less or non creative UI designers. People just follow whatever others do. So Netflix changed its interface just following windows mobile style. You may think why its bad ?

So lets look at the new GUI trend.
This GUI design trend is called Every thing in single window. So people doesn't need to switch interfaces. Just get every thing in one page. Like New Movies, New TV and then recommendations based on the content you watched.

Problem ? Single window GUI is nice if i can configure what content i can watch, ex: i like to see all the Hindi movies available but now no way in GUI, same happens for a french or any other language. So single window GUI is good if i can configure what i want to watch. If some one is deciding its sad :-(. Now you know the problem, no way to get the content we want. Search is there but its not giving what i want.

So if they change some more power to consumer to configure the interface, It will be great :-)

Second dislike :

Look for some movie, you don't get it. You will get some content ( its like dollar store, watch what they have at cheap price ).


Not something great, just another stuff so that if you have a kid and Internet connection is home its entertainment for 8 bucks.


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Chevrolet Sonic : photos

Most blogs seems not giving the pics of GM's expected Sonic. The pics are out at GM canada web site.

You can see them at : http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/sonic/feature-2011-Chevrolet-Sonic



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Welcome 2011

To 2011 :-)

So i was disconnected from the blog for some time but i was mostly tracking

1) Volt - GM Volt - i loved its news and was expecting an affordable commuter car ( its expensive for me now but i am sure it will come to affordability some time after )

2) Android : Kool yet another linux from Google with more focus on mobility, user experience and cross platform

2011 predictions :
1) A lot of Apad ( Android Pads ) to market

This is going to be a flood.

2) Hologarmic phones, You will be see person and talk ( those tiny pop ups in 3d ).

3) Ultra/super capacitors to market - may be this year or next year but its very close. We mostly will have battery break troughs which may make EVs cheap and fast chargeable.
I am not sure but the buzz looks graphene based stuff may do a sweep ( already they have graphene supercapacitors which stores as much energy per unit mass as nickel metal hydride batteries). so expecting it to find place in EVs

4) I think cars will changed a lot , small cars will switch to EVs and trucks to range extenders/Phevs - this is one of the big possibility. May not every one come with a prototype but i think for sure , tests will start.

5) TV - this is again going to be full internet based. The traditional cable companies are going to be looking more of home phone operations /wireless operations to provide connectivity. Even the concept of home phones are going to be less. more switching to mobile. 3D - no big sales till hologramic ones are out. Expectations on a glass using 3D is much less compared to a hologram one.


And me , will try to post at-least one post per month :-)

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